Saturday, November 30, 2013

Tea for Two

Lately, it has been difficult for me to find any
inspiration for my art projects. I loved Tamara's "Tea for Two"
theme. Here is how she explained it:

A song from the musical "No, No, Nanette" (1925) where two characters imagine their futures. This song is one I was familiar with growing up and reminds me of all the great conversations and moments that occur while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee with a loved one. My grandmother who I love dearly has also let me pick out tea cups from her collection over the years and I am often blown away by the colors and detailed art on these dainty dishes. Whether it is the act of having a cup of tea (or other beverage of choice) or teacups themselves, I hope you will find some inspiration in my theme.

I do enjoy the pleasures of sitting with a friend over a cup
of tea or coffee and catching up. Those few hours together really
strengthen the bonds of friendship and more importantly, make us feel
connected. But how to illustrate this in a chunky page?

To get over my mental block, I began by simply tea-dying my
watercolor paper substrate hoping that would spark an idea. I had some
old 3-D stationery featuring a teapot, teacup and puppy which I decided to use
as my focal point. From there, I selected a few lace swatches to
incorporate. I selected a few quotes saved from used teabags to hang off of the teacup. I assembled these pieces into the composition you see here.
On the back I hand-stamped a quote about friends and tea: